Parables of Erastil
The Parables of Erastil is a book of common wisdom carried by clerics and other followers of Erastil. It is usually a bound in a simple unadorned leather cover and is divided into five sections or books. The Parables of Erastil is the common text of the faith. It gives homilies on strengthening family bonds, almanac- like advice on planting, and lore about game animals and tracking. The number of chapters varies from place to place, as communities omit things irrelevant to their way of life or add fables emphasizing local events or traditions. "Book 1: On Family" contains sayings and wisdom relating to family life through which proper conduct and behavour are defined. They vary from stern admonishments to obey parents, to statements on responsibilities of parents to their children, to occasional humerous and contradictory lessons about family life in general. Overall the book gives the impression of a need for compassion and respect within the family and emphasizes that the family is the first responsibilty of all. “The first gift you ever receive is your family. A man grows from the seeds his parents plant.” '- From "Book 1: On Family"' "Book 2: On Work" contains sayings and wisdoms related to the value of work. These sayings form the basis for contracts in many frontier societies and are often quoted in matters of law related to trade, commerce and employment. They emphasis that work conducted for the betterment of ones family is of the highest order, followed by work for the community, then by work for oneself. Self employment is seen as the ideal but when one man must submit himself to work for another a series of sayings define the proper conduct of both the employee and the employer. “Gold and gems make a man weak; hard work in a field shows strength of body and character.” '- From "Book 2: On Work"' "Book 3: On Hunting", or sometimes referred to as "The Wisdom of the Archer" is the most esoteric of the books within the Parables of Erastil. “A man who chases two rabbits catches none.” '- From "Book 3: On Hunting"' From "The Parable of Erastil" The Parable of the Wise Woman A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone." Sometimes it's not the wealth you have but, what's inside you that others need. References